How to Train a Siberian Husky
Establish yourself as the “alpha.” Siberian Huskies are notorious for being difficult to train., Reward good behavior., Discipline your husky without using violence., Build a useful vocabulary with your husky., Be consistent and balanced in your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Establish yourself as the “alpha.” Siberian Huskies are notorious for being difficult to train.
They are a pack dog with a hierarchical order of leadership and, therefore, are stubborn, strong-willed, and independent.
Because huskies have natural behavioral traits that can be destructive if not properly trained, it is important to get an early start on minimizing bad behavior in order to establish a foundation for a well-behaved dog.
It is important to have knowledge of a Siberian Husky’s temperament.
Confidence and a strong-will are important qualities to have as an owner in order to establish obedience in your dog.
Huskies will only respect or listen to commands coming from an “alpha.” Treating your husky as an equal is not a good idea because huskies are hierarchical pack dogs and only follow leaders.
You must demonstrate yourself as the leader at all times, whether that is eating first, entering doorways before your dog, or making your husky move out of your way, it is important to establish this tiered relationship.
Sometimes huskies become aggressive in an attempt to establish a pecking order of leadership by biting, posturing, or engaging in other violent behaviors.
In this case, demonstrating your dominance as the “alpha” is imperative to curbing this behavior.
Permitting your husky to continue this behavior or not addressing will only encourage stronger aggression towards other people and dogs.
Siberian Huskies sometimes engage in behavior that is very natural for them but unwanted by people.
The alpha position will also provide you the authority to train your husky not to engage in bad behavior such as jumping, digging, biting, and chewing.
A Husky will only obey the alpha. -
Step 2: Reward good behavior.
Good manners are the foundation for a well-behaved dog.
Providing tasty treats and using an encouraging voice is an effective combination for your husky to repeat good behavior.
This is called “positive reinforcement” or “respect training.” Make sure to quickly dish out rewards so that your husky understands which behavior to replicate.
Waiting too long will only confuse your husky.
Once your husky masters a command, the treat will no longer be needed.
Redirect bad behavior into good behavior.
Focus the dog’s attention away from being naughty towards a good behavioral act.
This shows a dog what can and cannot be done without discipline.
The lure and reward system is safe because huskies will not become fearful, aggressive, or stressed from abuse.
Instead, of performing violence on your husky, you are simply withholding treats that your husky failed to earn.
Keep training simple and set goals.
Your husky, like any other animal, has a learning curve.
Start out easy with minimal commands and build up to more complex ones and reward at all stages. , Along with praise and rewards, huskies must also receive discipline for bad behavior.
As with praise, corrective measures must be taken immediately, be consistent, and redirected towards performing good behavior.
In order not to go overboard with physical or abusive disciple and losing your husky’s willingness to obey, control your husky’s resources, such as treats, toys, play, and affection until the dog responds with corrective behavior.
Be firm in your discipline.
Use words like “no” or “stop” with strong assertion but without anger in your voice.
At all times, make sure you are exhibiting alpha leadership by firmly controlling the training and by giving commands authoritatively.
A given command must be obeyed.
If your husky refuses, then walk away and ignore him without giving him what he wants.
After a few minutes, give the command again – be persistent and patient until he obeys.
If your husky continues to be stubborn and refuses to obey after several attempts, remove him to a “time-out” designated area where he cannot interact with people until he settles down. , Just like communicating with another human, useful vocabulary is the basis for comprehension and a good relationship with your husky.
A strong vocabulary will make your husky smart, well-mannered, and most importantly, get your husky to understand what you want done.
Simple words like yes, no, sit, stay, come, or short phrases are best when trying to communicate with your husky.
Familiar words and phrases build trust – a husky builds confidence knowing who their leader is and what is expected of them.
A good vocabulary provides your husky with knowledge and, eventually, the ability to piece together words and phrases to complete complex tasks. , Although huskies are known to be intelligent, good behavior is a response to repeated conditioning in a consistent environment.
Setting a routine is the best way to accomplishing consistency.
Routines are good for both dog and owner because a regular schedule of training, playing, potty, and exercise maximizes time together and relaxes expectations.
Commitment to a daily routine is the biggest hurdle to effectively training your husky.
Be aware that sudden changes in a schedule can irritate and confuse a dog, making him more vulnerable to break the rules you established during training.
Make sure supplies, such as food, toys, collar, leash, treats, and cleaning materials are readily available so that the daily schedule is not interrupted or place stress on either the owner or the dog.
Always remain calm and plan for success.
Siberian Huskies must realize who is in charge and that commands are to be followed and are not merely suggestions.
Make sure that rewards and discipline are equal to the achievement or infraction.
Love and tenderness are always good qualities to share with your best friend. , Although huskies are known to be intelligent, good behavior is a response to repeated conditioning in a consistent environment.
Therefore, it is important to make rules and stick with them and to communicate these rules to all family members who come into contact with your husky.
Most likely, a husky will not follow commands that are inconsistent or confusing.
Decide what rooms the dog can access, which furniture will or will not be available for your husky to lounge on, and where sleeping quarters will be.
There will be times when you have to leave your husky alone.
In this case, make sure boundaries are established to protect your property from an overzealous or bored husky.
Consider a place like the kitchen where it will be easy to clean up accidents, low-risk for destructive behavior, and close to family activity to prevent loneliness. , Remember that Siberian Huskies have been trained for hundreds, if not thousands, of years to be sled dogs, which has built up their endurance level.
A lack of exercise will do more than make your husky fat and lazy, it will provide motive for mischievous behavior such as escaping, howling, chewing, crying, and digging. “Walking your dog” is not good enough for a Siberian Husky.
They were bred to run for several miles a day and, therefore, require large amounts of exercise.
At the very minimum, you should be prepared for a good run every day or at least a brisk walk to tire your husky.
Siberian Huskies prefer to howl than to bark.
Excessive howling troubles neighbors and brings complaints.
Exercising will release their pent up energy and minimize excessive howling.
Siberian Huskies have a reputation as “escape artists.” Huskies are creative when it comes to finding a way to leave the yard.
In most cases, your husky will only attempt to “escape” if under-exercised or bored.
Other outdoor activities such as bikejoring, hiking, or even a game of fetch, flyball, or Frisbee will help tire your husky and provide solid alternatives to running. -
Step 3: Discipline your husky without using violence.
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Step 4: Build a useful vocabulary with your husky.
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Step 5: Be consistent and balanced in your training.
-
Step 6: Make some rules and try to stick with them.
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Step 7: Exercise at least thirty minutes a day to burn off excess energy in addition to play time.
Detailed Guide
They are a pack dog with a hierarchical order of leadership and, therefore, are stubborn, strong-willed, and independent.
Because huskies have natural behavioral traits that can be destructive if not properly trained, it is important to get an early start on minimizing bad behavior in order to establish a foundation for a well-behaved dog.
It is important to have knowledge of a Siberian Husky’s temperament.
Confidence and a strong-will are important qualities to have as an owner in order to establish obedience in your dog.
Huskies will only respect or listen to commands coming from an “alpha.” Treating your husky as an equal is not a good idea because huskies are hierarchical pack dogs and only follow leaders.
You must demonstrate yourself as the leader at all times, whether that is eating first, entering doorways before your dog, or making your husky move out of your way, it is important to establish this tiered relationship.
Sometimes huskies become aggressive in an attempt to establish a pecking order of leadership by biting, posturing, or engaging in other violent behaviors.
In this case, demonstrating your dominance as the “alpha” is imperative to curbing this behavior.
Permitting your husky to continue this behavior or not addressing will only encourage stronger aggression towards other people and dogs.
Siberian Huskies sometimes engage in behavior that is very natural for them but unwanted by people.
The alpha position will also provide you the authority to train your husky not to engage in bad behavior such as jumping, digging, biting, and chewing.
A Husky will only obey the alpha.
Good manners are the foundation for a well-behaved dog.
Providing tasty treats and using an encouraging voice is an effective combination for your husky to repeat good behavior.
This is called “positive reinforcement” or “respect training.” Make sure to quickly dish out rewards so that your husky understands which behavior to replicate.
Waiting too long will only confuse your husky.
Once your husky masters a command, the treat will no longer be needed.
Redirect bad behavior into good behavior.
Focus the dog’s attention away from being naughty towards a good behavioral act.
This shows a dog what can and cannot be done without discipline.
The lure and reward system is safe because huskies will not become fearful, aggressive, or stressed from abuse.
Instead, of performing violence on your husky, you are simply withholding treats that your husky failed to earn.
Keep training simple and set goals.
Your husky, like any other animal, has a learning curve.
Start out easy with minimal commands and build up to more complex ones and reward at all stages. , Along with praise and rewards, huskies must also receive discipline for bad behavior.
As with praise, corrective measures must be taken immediately, be consistent, and redirected towards performing good behavior.
In order not to go overboard with physical or abusive disciple and losing your husky’s willingness to obey, control your husky’s resources, such as treats, toys, play, and affection until the dog responds with corrective behavior.
Be firm in your discipline.
Use words like “no” or “stop” with strong assertion but without anger in your voice.
At all times, make sure you are exhibiting alpha leadership by firmly controlling the training and by giving commands authoritatively.
A given command must be obeyed.
If your husky refuses, then walk away and ignore him without giving him what he wants.
After a few minutes, give the command again – be persistent and patient until he obeys.
If your husky continues to be stubborn and refuses to obey after several attempts, remove him to a “time-out” designated area where he cannot interact with people until he settles down. , Just like communicating with another human, useful vocabulary is the basis for comprehension and a good relationship with your husky.
A strong vocabulary will make your husky smart, well-mannered, and most importantly, get your husky to understand what you want done.
Simple words like yes, no, sit, stay, come, or short phrases are best when trying to communicate with your husky.
Familiar words and phrases build trust – a husky builds confidence knowing who their leader is and what is expected of them.
A good vocabulary provides your husky with knowledge and, eventually, the ability to piece together words and phrases to complete complex tasks. , Although huskies are known to be intelligent, good behavior is a response to repeated conditioning in a consistent environment.
Setting a routine is the best way to accomplishing consistency.
Routines are good for both dog and owner because a regular schedule of training, playing, potty, and exercise maximizes time together and relaxes expectations.
Commitment to a daily routine is the biggest hurdle to effectively training your husky.
Be aware that sudden changes in a schedule can irritate and confuse a dog, making him more vulnerable to break the rules you established during training.
Make sure supplies, such as food, toys, collar, leash, treats, and cleaning materials are readily available so that the daily schedule is not interrupted or place stress on either the owner or the dog.
Always remain calm and plan for success.
Siberian Huskies must realize who is in charge and that commands are to be followed and are not merely suggestions.
Make sure that rewards and discipline are equal to the achievement or infraction.
Love and tenderness are always good qualities to share with your best friend. , Although huskies are known to be intelligent, good behavior is a response to repeated conditioning in a consistent environment.
Therefore, it is important to make rules and stick with them and to communicate these rules to all family members who come into contact with your husky.
Most likely, a husky will not follow commands that are inconsistent or confusing.
Decide what rooms the dog can access, which furniture will or will not be available for your husky to lounge on, and where sleeping quarters will be.
There will be times when you have to leave your husky alone.
In this case, make sure boundaries are established to protect your property from an overzealous or bored husky.
Consider a place like the kitchen where it will be easy to clean up accidents, low-risk for destructive behavior, and close to family activity to prevent loneliness. , Remember that Siberian Huskies have been trained for hundreds, if not thousands, of years to be sled dogs, which has built up their endurance level.
A lack of exercise will do more than make your husky fat and lazy, it will provide motive for mischievous behavior such as escaping, howling, chewing, crying, and digging. “Walking your dog” is not good enough for a Siberian Husky.
They were bred to run for several miles a day and, therefore, require large amounts of exercise.
At the very minimum, you should be prepared for a good run every day or at least a brisk walk to tire your husky.
Siberian Huskies prefer to howl than to bark.
Excessive howling troubles neighbors and brings complaints.
Exercising will release their pent up energy and minimize excessive howling.
Siberian Huskies have a reputation as “escape artists.” Huskies are creative when it comes to finding a way to leave the yard.
In most cases, your husky will only attempt to “escape” if under-exercised or bored.
Other outdoor activities such as bikejoring, hiking, or even a game of fetch, flyball, or Frisbee will help tire your husky and provide solid alternatives to running.
About the Author
Michelle Bell
A passionate writer with expertise in practical skills topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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